Sunday, July 27, 2014
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de. M.
In the past three weeks, I had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with Catholic teens and young adults. Two weeks were spent at Life Teen camp in Northern Georgia. Another weekend was at a Steubenville East Conference in Rhode Island. At each of these Catholic events, I was one of the Catholic priests assigned to provide the youth with the Sacraments and a priestly presence.
Many today have a pessimistic view of the future generations. We picture our teens and young adults concerned only with themselves and their enjoyment. It is thought that they are spending hours playing violent video games, obsessed with texting or taking selfies, and involved in all sorts of inappropriate behaviors. Unfortunately, this is often true of many of our youth who are growing up in less than ideal family situations and bombarded by a culture of self-gratification. Luckily for them, as St Paul says, “where sin abounds grace abounds all the more (Rom 5:20).” After hearing hundreds of confessions and witnessing the youths’ genuine desire for holiness, I can say that God’s grace is abounding despite the trials of our age.
Take for example the Life Teen movement of and for Catholic youth. This whole movement is basically run by college age students. Men and women in their early twenties have been inspired to give up a summer, two years, or even many years to be missionaries. This word “missionary” is not taken lightly. These youth must raise money for all their needs from generous donors. They must go through extensive training on the catechism and the Church’s understanding of
mission.
The missionaries are asked to make a dating fast to focus their entire selves on the teens they serve. During their time of service, the young adults must be obedient to their legitimate superiors. Lastly, they have an extensive schedule including daily Holy Hour, Mass, fasting, and long hours of work. After hearing this, even your most zealous of Catholics may question the point of giving up so much. But, in the minds of the missionaries this is nothing compared to the reward of leading teens into an intimate relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist, confession, Sacred Scripture, and the lives of the Saints. This, my friends, is the fulfillment of the Gift of Wisdom received in Confirmation.
Hunting for the Pearl of Great Price
“Wisdom enlightens the mind to discern and relish the things that are Divine.” St Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:19 that “the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.” God’s wisdom is so much higher than the world’s. It makes no sense for a person to find a treasure and “sell all that he has for it”. The treasure of the Kingdom of God is worth more than any amount of money, security, or fame. Why would a shrewd businessman looking to make a lot of money sell all that he has to possess one pearl? He becomes satisfied with the beauty of the pearl and forgets everything else! And, again, why would young people in the prime of their lives forgo climbing the economic and social ladder…forgo parties and good times in order to become Missionaries to bring the Gospel to a wounded generation? It is ridiculous by the world’s standards!
In the end, the ways of God will never truly make sense to the earthly, because they are ordered to the next life. The Gift of Wisdom enables us to have the vision of God or the vision of heaven while still living very much on this earth. In heaven, we see that true joy comes from becoming a self-gift to another. Heaven is union with the Trinity, a bond of love between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We share in this union and are thus united with all the Saints in glory. Our possession is God as we are possessed by Him.
These young adults
give each one of us an example of real wisdom despite their tender ages. They have tasted what the world has to offer and found its values wanting. Then, experiencing Jesus Christ in the Sacraments they were left speechless thinking, “finally this is the pearl of great price; the fulfillment of all our longings!” Finding the true treasure, they have given away all of their future plans for it.
May we receive an outpouring of the Gift of Wisdom to help us discern the true desires of God. Within our state and vocation, may we seek to order all our gifts, talents, and ambitions to the Kingdom of God. Then, at last, we will have found fulfillment for our deepest longings and desires. We will have found the pearl of great price!